Filter plant.



E. G. WILEY.

FILTER PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED 0012,1912.

1,060,870, Patented May 6,1913.

4 BSHEETS-SHEETI.

T38 39 38 h\ t F 1 %7 WITNESSES I I ATTORNEY E. G. WILEY.

FILTER PLANT.

7 APPLICATION FILED 0OT.2, 1912. 1,060,870. Patented May 6, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY E. 0. WILEY.

FILTER PLANT.

APPLICATION FILED 0013.2, 1912.

Patented May 6, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

a v W M WITNESSES ATTO R N EY ments in filter number of 'marily to remove sand, mud, and other EDGAR cmnnivcn I WILEY, or LYNCHIBURQG, VIRGINIA.

FILTER, PLANT.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Patented May 6, 1913.

Application filed October 2, 1912. Serial N 0. 723,619.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR citizen of the United Lynchburg,

C. W LEr, a States, residing at in'th'e county of Campbell and $t-ate of Virginia, have invented a new and following useful Filter Plant, of which the is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve-' designed especially for the filtering of water as it is taken from running streams priobj ectionable matter which is liable to obstruct the suction intakes of pumping plants and damage the pumping machinery, this being more especiallythe case during' extraordinary conditions, as,

for instance, during freshets and the like. filtering material and depth of filtering bed, the arrangement is capable ofclarifying or purifyin water to a greateror less extent in ac'cor ance with the practice followed in other rapid sand filters.

ile the system is especially suitable for purifying city water supplies and supplies,

for Industrial plants and railway water stations taken from running streams, it may be also employed where the filter plants are installed at points remote from the streams or in public buildings or private houses.

In accordance with the present invention the filtering bed is, in the case of running streams, sunk into the bed of the stream until its upper surface is approximately level with the bottom or bed of the stream and has filtering units which discharge into ducts at a still lower level, and these ducts in turn lead into awell having walls extending to a suflicient height to' come well above high water line, so that this well will .not be filled up with trash or other obstructions during freshets. Each filter bed may comprise a ducts opening individually into the well and each opening may be controlled by a suitable gate or door in turn controlled by' operatin mechanism at the top ofthe well. Furt errnore, each filter unit communioates with the underlying collecting is installed at the down-streain end of thefilter bed, but prdvision is made for moving plants or infiltration systemsy a proper choice of when desirable.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration tailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the further understanding that while in the drawings practical embodiments of the invention are illus-'.

trated, the invention is susceptible of other practical embodiments, wherefore it is not 1 this gate or-tail board to inactive position of the following deconfined to any exact conformity. with the 7 showing of the drawings, but the practical embodiment may be changed and-modified so I long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View of a filter structure embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, but drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 but omitting distant parts. Fig. 4 is=a section on the line 44 of Fig. l, but drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig, 4 but showing a somewhat modified construction. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 5 showing some of the lower parts in-section. Fig. 7 is a detailed plan view showing a somewhat different form of filtering units from those illustrated in the other figures.

When the filter plant is installed in'a running stream, the latter may be diverted and an excavation is made in the bottom of the stream to a suitable depth, and in the bottom of this excavation there is laid a bed 1 of suitable material, such as cement concrete, and retaining walls 2, 3 are built up about the marginal portions of the excavation to serve as. retaining walls for parts to be described, but the upstream and down stream retaining walls are carried only to a height where they will be approximately level with the bed of the stream. The wall 2 may be carried higher than the walls 3 and may constitute one shore wall of the filter bed structure in narrow streams, while in wide 7 streams the filter plant may be of less width than that of the stream'and suitable means, such as a wing wall or low' dambe provided for causing'a suitable quantity of water to traverse the filter plant even under low water conditions. Embedded in the wall 2 at one or both ends there may be provided tie rods 4 for uniting other filter beds to the one al ready built should this become desirable at rious matter from the stream may find digate 14 are locked against any head of water rect access to the well and the latter may not become choked with any trash carried by thestream. That wall 6 of the well tacing the wall 2 may be provided with an overhang 7 and'the bottom of the well may he sunk to a lower level than that portion of the bed underlying the space between the wall 2 and the well 6.

In one form, of the invention suitably spaced sills 8 are lodged between the walls 2, 3 and 6 and extend from the wall 2 to the well, thus providing a suitable number of compartments or chambers 9. Laid on these sills is a floor 10 which together with the sills may be made of wood, but other material may be employed, and one such arrang'ement is hereinafter described with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. Leading into the well 5 from each chamber 9 through theadjacent wall 6 is a passage 11 which may be lined by a casing 12 carrying at the end within the well a lever 13 in turn carrying a sluicegate 14. This lever. 13 is connected by a'link or red 15 to one end of a hand lever 16 pivoted on a bracket 17 near the top of the well 6 provided with the overhang 7, and the lever 16 may be manipulatedto open the gate 14 at will, but when the lever isupright it is so pivoted in the bracket 17 and is so related to the link 15 that the said link 15, the lever 13 and the within the respective chamber 9 tending to open the gate. When the lever 16 is laid down upon the overhan 7 the gate 14- is moved to the open position, and the corre sponding chamber 9 has free access to the well 5.

It will be understood tliat'in cases where the walls are made of concrete cement, such reinforcing as is found to be advisable will be employed,"but as this is a common practice no further mention need be made of it. Where it becomes advisable because of the nature of the banks of the stream, sheet l'n the-structure shown in Fig. land as a continuation 23 leading to an approoa er/o sociated figures, ithe flooring 1O sustains pipes 24 preferably of rectangular cross section and of appropriate length, say about two feet. These pipes are preferably of terra cotta of commercial size and length such as are commonly employed for smoke lines or other purposes and are placed in the space bounded by the walls 2 and 3 and the corresponding wall 6 of the well 5, so that the space is divided into a large number of wells of rectangular, preferably square, cross section and of about two feet in depth. The square pipe sections adapt themselves to corner contact so that not only are cells inclosed by the four walls of the pipe, but the adjacent walls of four adjoining: pipes define a cell except where the pipes are next to the retaining walls of the filter bed, in which case a cell is formed by three adjoining pipes and the corresponding portion of the retainin wall. By this means a minimum num r of pipes will form a maximum number of cells within a given area. Extendin through the flooring in position to communicate with the bottom of each pipe or space between pipes constituting a filter cell is a hole 25 opening into the corresponding chamber 9 and located as close as may be to the center of the filter cell. Each pipe 24 or space inclosed by adjacent pipes is filled with filtering material, such as graded layers of crushed stone or gravel, say fi'om about one-half inch down, and finishing with sand or pulverized stone of suitable fineness or coarse-' ness. each to an appropriate depth. Good results are obtained by first placing in the bottom of the filter cell a strainer 26 having a marginal supporting flange, which will raise the strainer a shortdistance above the corresponding hole 25. On this strainer there is deposited a layer 27 of stone of appropriate size and to a depth about four inches. Upon this there is produced another layer 28 of stone of smaller size to a like depth, and upon the second layer there is produced a third layer 29 of still smaller size, While the remainder of the depth of the cell is filled with sand or pulverized stone 80, such as will pass through say number eight on a number twenty screen. This arrangement is illustrated in Fig. 4 but the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with such arrangement, althoughunder. certain conditions it has been found to give excellent results but difierent condi tions of course require difierentfiltering materials or arrangements thereof. There is a liability of the formatibn of larger interstices between the walls of the cells and the adjacent filtering material than elsewhere in the cells and the partially filtered water may find a path through thecell at such points. To avoid this the cells may be lined with sand by coating them with a layer producing a thin adherent layer of sand with which the filtering material will interlock. This coating is indicated at 30 in Fig. 4. i

Bolts 31 are sunk in the down stream wall 3 and serve to maintain brackets 32 fast to said wall, these brackets extending beyond the down stream edge of the wall. Mounted in these brackets is a shaft 33 carrying a suitable number of rock arms 34 fast thereto, and these rock arms terminate at the ends remote from the shaft in flanges 35 to which is attacheda gate or tail board 36 of a length to extend from the wall 2 to that wall 6 of the well 5 rovided with the overhang 7 A lever 37 ast to the shaft 33 adjacent the wall constitutes a. convenient means for manipulating the gate or tail board 36 to place it in the path of a stream of water of thin cement andapplying dry sand, thus overflowing the filter bed, or to lift itout of the path of such stream.

In place of providing a wooden support for the filter units a base therefor may be constructed of tile members 38 shown in Fig. 5, and these members have holes 39' therein corresponding to the holes 25 in the flooring 10. The 'tilemembers 38 may be comparatively narrow and extend laterally of the direction of flow of the stream to the well 5, but-where the sluice passages 11 are provided the corresponding wall of the well may have the passages therethrough expanded as indicated at 40 in Fig. 6, so as to include an appropriate number of the tile ducts 38 corresponding to the chambers 9 in the structure of the other figures.

Under some circumstances it may be desirable tonse pipesof round cross section for the filter units, and such pipes are shown at 41 in 'Fig. 7 and the waste spaces between these pipes may be filled with cement grouting or with other material. Of course, the

' IDVGDtlOIlIlS not confined. to the use of either square or round pipes for the filter units, buteither of these forms are commercial forms and readily obtainable, while the maximum filter area within a square form has the advantage of giving the minimum inclosur.

While onlyone filter bed inclosure is shown in the drawings, itwill be understood that any desired number of such filter .beds may be arranged in series in the stream and each filter bed may be of any desirable area, depending upon the particular conditions present in the location where'the filter bed is installed.

Suppose that a stream of water is flowing 39 as the case may be, into the chambers 9 or tile base members 38, and this water already freed'from-sanm'mud, and other un desirable material, and sensibly free from all deleterious material removable by a sand filter bed, finds its way into the well 5 from which the clean water may be withdrawn by any suitable pumping apparatus, not shown, through the pipe 19, and this pipe 19 maybe taken as indicative of a suitable apparatus. The flow of water from the filter beds into the well 5 depends upon the opening of the gates 14, and if all these gates be open the filter bed is operating to its full capacity, but theamount of filter bed in action may be reduced as desired by closing an appropriate number of the gates 14.

Should it transpire that for any reason the flow of water in the stream is less than usual, the depth'of water over the filter bed maybe restored by placing the gate or tail board 36 into the path. of the stream, so that the water is dammed back and its depth maintained by the tail board or tail gate to the desired point, while surplus water overflows thistail. gate and continues on down stream. The water within the well will naturally assume a level about that of'the running stream unless an attempt should be made to withdraw water from the well faster than it can flow thereinto.

pumping In the course of time the filter bed will become more or less choked by a deposit of sand or mud, and then it is desirable to cleanse the filter bed. This may be accomplished by causing water to flow into the well through the pipe 19, either from the reservoir into which the filtered water has been pumped orfrom any other appro priate source, the foot valve-under suchcircumstances closing and the by-pass valve 22 opening, and with the gates 14 open the clean water will flow into the chambers 9 or other underlying receptacles and in small streams up through the holes or passages 25 or 39, as the case may be, into the filtering material, and out through the top of filter cells, thus lifting the mud or sand or other accumulated material when the'runn'ing stream whichthen is unimpeded, since under these circumstances the tail gate 36 is raised, will wash away the accumulations, thus disturbed and raised by the reverse flow the of water through the filter beds. The force of the cleansing water will depend upon the head established within the well 5, and this head may be as great as the depth of the well b closing all the gates 14 until the water ead is established, and then by-opening the gates the water will flow backwardly through the filter cells to cause their ClBaIlfS-a ing. Each installation has numerous gates 14 and in order to 'rovide for the maintenance of the level of cleansing water in the well by the pipe 19 only one or a small number of the gates are opened at a time, soth'at there may be no material diminution of the.

desired back-washing head and ultimately the entire filter beds may by this means be thoroughly cleansed. The upward flow of water agitates the filtering material, but since the single small opening in the bottom 5 of each filtering cell is susceptible. of calibration the washing action may be so regu-' lated that it is impossible to displace or wash away the filtering material in any particular cell, although each and every cell gets a definite washing action through its individual supply aperture for passage from the suction well is made much larger than the aggregate size of the number of apertures or holes through the floor of the filter bed. By providing each filter unit or cell with a single aperture, it becomes an easy matter to calibrate or size such apertures according to conditions, so that with the desired pressure for back-washing, the proper quantity of water will be discharged from the suction well through each individual 'Jcontainer. There is no danger of displacement' or loss of filtering material by the washing water seeping and discharging through the softest spots in the filter bed, as tends to occur in filters of the ordinary type with the common sand bed.

I By the present invention it will be observed that the filter bed is made up of a multitude of small units or cells each of which extends to the point over which the running water flows, so that there is estab lishedat such point a definite bottom for the running stream, whereby the filter bed is to a large extent self cleansing for the same reason that a reef or rock lying across the stream is usually kept clean by the natural action of'the water, and, moreover, the tiles or containers for the filtering-material make it impossible for freshets or other unusual conditions to wash away the filtering material.

What is claimed-is 4 1. A filter bed having numerous upright for the containers having a relatively small aperture or holetherethrough for each container, and a well 'common to all the containers and communicating with each container through said relatively. small aperture.

2. A filter bed having numerous upright containers for filtering material, a support for the containers having a relatively small aperture or hole therethrough for each container,"and a well common to all the containers and communicating with each con- I each designed to contain filtering material,

containers for filtering material, a supporta support for the filter units sunk in the bed of the stream to a distance to bring the tops of the filter units substantially level with I the bottom of the stream, ducts leading from the-bottoms of the filter units, and a well rising to a greater height than the level of the stream and to the depth of the ducts and communicating therewith, said well being provided with controlling means for the ducts for placing one or more of said ducts in communication with the well at will.

4:. A filter system for use in running streams comprising a. group of filter units each designed to contain filtering material, a support for the filterunits sunk in the bed of the stream to a distance to bring the tops of the filter units substantially level with the bottom of the stream, ducts lead ing from the bottoms of the filter units, and a well rising to a greater height than the level of the stream and to the depth of the ducts and communicating therewith, said well being provided with controlling means for the ducts for placing one or more of said ducts in communication with the well at will, each filter unit having a single relatively small aperture for communication with a respective duct and the well being provided with means for removing filtered water therefrom or supplying water thereto from another source than the filter bed.

5. A filter plant for installation in running streams comprising a pit sunk in the bed of a stream with the surface of the pit substantially on a level with the bottom of the stream, a' well at one end of the pit rising to a height greater than the level of the stream and communicating with the pit near the lower en thereof, a base or support within the pit and having chambers or channels extending to the well, sluice gates for controlling communication between the pit and the well by way of the channels or chambers, and filter units lodged in the pit to substantially the capacity thereof, each filter unit being adapted to contain filtering material and of' a height to extend to the top of the pit to a point substantially coincident with the bottom of the stream.

'6. A filter plant for'installation in running streams comprising a pit sunk in the bed of a stream with the surface'of the pit substantially onva level with the bottom of the stream, a well at one end of the pit rising to aheight greater than the level of the stream and communicating with the pit near the lower end thereof, a base or support within the pit havin chambers or channels extending to thewefi, sluice gates for controlling communicationbetween the pit and the well by way of the channels or chambers, and filter units lodged in the pit to substantially the capacity thereof, each filter unit bein adapted to contain filtering material an of a height to extend to the top of the pit to a point substantially coincident with the'bottom of the stream, and a tail 'gate associated with the pit structure for inthe lower end thereof, a base or supportwithin the pit having chambers or channels extending to the well, sluice gates for controlling communication between the pit and the'well by way of the channels or chambers, and filter units lodged in the pit to substantiallyjthe capacity thereof, each filter unit-being adapted to contain filtering material and of a height to extend to'the top of the pit to a point substantially coincident with the bottom of the stream, said well being provided with means for removing filtered water therefrom and with means for supplying water thereto from a sourceother than the filter bed. 4

8. A filter plant for installation in'runningstreams comprising a pit sunk in the bed of a -stream with the surface of the pit substantially on a level with the bottom of the stream, a well at one end of thepit rising to a height; greater than the level of the stream and communicating with the pit near the lower end thereof, a base or support within the-pit having chambers or channels extending to the well, sluice gates for controlling communication between the pit and the well by way of the channels or chambers, and filter units lodged in the pit to substantially the capacity thereof, each filter unit being adapted to contain filtering material and of a' height to extend to the top of the pit to a point substantially coincident with the bottom of the stream, and a tail gate associated with the pit structure for increasing the effective height thereof at its down stream end, saidwell being provided with means for removing filtered: water therefrom and with, means for supplying water thereto fromasource other than the filter bed.

top walls of the chambers, and a plurality; of filter units composed-of containers of rectangular cross section open at the ends- 9, A filter bed comprising'a plurality of upright filter units adapted .to contain loose filtering m'aterialf'each filterin umt having at itslower end an outlet of re ativelysmall area. 10. A filter bed'havmg chambers formed in its lower "portion and with spaced aper tures of relatively small size through the and sup orted upright by-thetop wall of the cham bers, said containers being. corner engagement to-define cellsfor filtering material within the walls of the containers and exterior to said containers.

. 1 1. A filter plant comprising a walled pit formed in the bed of a stream of water with the top of the pit substantially coincia well formed at one end of the pit in communication therewith, and a series of individual containers lodged in the. it in -dent with the bottom vof' the running stream,

flush with the bottom of the stream, a well at one end of the pit communicating at the bottom portion with the bottom portion of the interior of the pit and rising to a greater height than the high water level of the stream, and upright filter units having theirtops approximately level with the to of the pit and. their lower ends elevated a ove the bottom of: the pit in communication with the well of the pit. v

13. A filter .plant for use in connection with running streams comprising a walled through the bottom portion' pitopen at the upper end and sunk in the' bed of the stream to flush with the bottom of the stream, a Well atone end of the pit communicating at the a point approximately! bottom portion with the bottom portion of the interior of the pit and rising to a,-

greater height than the high water level of the stream, and upright filter units having their tops. approximately level with the" top of the pit and their lower ends elevated.

above the bottom of the pit in communica-s tion with the well throughihe bottom portion of the pit, said well bein with controllable meansHfor the number of filter units to be. active any-one time.

14:, In a filter I plant for use in streams, a pit sunk in'the bed of the stream with its upper end open and substantially provided} etermining. I"

coincident with the bottom ofthe stream, .i a well communicating with one end of the pit and rising to a height above the J water level of the stream, a 'pluralityof sluice gates be ween the pit and-thewell' with accessible -means for controlling the opening and closing of the sluice gates, means for removing filtered water from the well or supplying water thereto 'from another sourcelthan the pit atwill,-aplue."

rality of'upright containers lodged in the. pit and substantially filling the same with their upper endsv substantially coincident with the top of the pit and their lower ends elevated above the bottom'of the pit, ,saidr;

containers having a support in the pit above the bottom thereof with apertures through the su port, the aggregate area of the apertures being relatively small: as compared with the cross sectional area of the containers and the capaoity of-the pit below the containers, said containers being adapted to receive fitering material. I

15. A filter plant for running streams,

comprising a pit sunk in the bed of the stream and open at the upper end substantially flush with the bottom of the stream,

and filter units each provided with loose filtering material, said units being upri ht in position in the pit and substantially lling the same, and having their upper ends substantially flush with the topot the pit.

16. A filter plant for streams comprising a filter bed sunk in t e bed o1? the stream with its upper edge substantially coincident with the bottom of the stream, and a tail gate or board at the down stream end of the filter bed movable into.

EDGAR CLARENCE WI EY.

Witnesses:

ALIoE L. KREBLES, GRAon H. MAHO0D. 

